iWant Freddie
by ElectrifyMe
Summary: The gang are in their junior year of High School. Carly has changed, and Sam feels like she's losing her. She turns to Freddie for comfort, and gets more than she expected in return. Also, Freddie is trying to get over Carly. Seddie AND Creddie! 1st fic!
1. iDon't Want to Have Sex

**Hey! This is my first fan-fiction. Sorry the summary sucks, but if you read the story you'll find out what happens! This story will contain BOTH SEDDIE AND CREDDIE. **

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Carly, blablabla.**

* * *

CHAPTER ONE: **iDon't Want To Have Sex**

Samantha Puckett couldn't believe she was jealous. Especially since the person in question was her best friend, Carly Shay.

It seemed that it was always Carly the 'perfect' one: she was gorgeous, funny, nice and basically everybody loved her. Well – at least – all the guys did. Ever since high school had started, and that Carly started having bigger boobs and a shapely body as well, the majority of the male population at Ridgeway High was ogling her every second.

Sam couldn't stand it anymore. She felt terribly overshadowed. Because of this lack of attention, her self-confidence shattered in pieces every time she was face to face with Carly. Because she was perfect. _Too_ perfect. And Sam knew she would never be like her.

Not only did Carly changed _physically_, but she changed her attitude. It seemed to Sam that Carly thought she was 'too cool' to hang out with her two best friends whose social statuses couldn't exactly be qualified as 'popular'.

Sam didn't know where to fit in. She was not like all the other girls. She wasn't the type of girl who was being _constantly_ nice to everybody, like Carly, for example. People couldn't stand her dark and sometimes twisted sense of humor. People just didn't get her. So she mainly hung out with guys. Guys were not complicated like chicks. You could act crazy and have laughs with them. Unlike girls, they wouldn't take you too seriously.

But she never got pass the "friend zone". Ever. It seemed that 'nice' guys were just not that into her.

That's why Sam decided to go out with 'bad boy' Jonah. Over the years he had grown into a very hunky dude. He was everything Sam could ever idolize in a guy: he was strong, confident, tough and hot. Although there may be one tiny little problem: he had a terrible reputation. Yes – Sam was aware that he had slept with probably over a hundred different girls; yes – he was a stoner and he owned a motorbike and yes – he was a complete jerk – but Sam didn't care. She liked the fact that she was the only person that wasn't scared of him. She liked the fact that their relationship was simple, with no strings attached.

Jonah had come over to Sam's place after school, as usual. Sam was about to open her books to study for her trigonometry test when Jonah placed a kiss on her lips.

"We're supposed to be studying –" she said, and almost laughed at herself. She never studied for her tests.

"Forget trig," he whispered. "Let's make out."

She pushed him back indignantly.

"Absolutely not! If I fail this quiz, I am so dead…" she protested.

He kissed her again, but this time she gave in. They made their way to her room, almost tripping on each other as they moved.

"Are your parents home?" he asked.

"Nope…"

"Good."

He kissed her more forcefully and pushed her down onto the bed. They continued kissing like that for a while, their hands roaming around each other's entire bodies.

But things started to get awkward when Jonah unbuttoned Sam blouse. She immediately pushed him away and sat upright.

"What are you doing?!" Sam asked, confused.

"Well – you know…" he said, grinning.

"How many times have I told you that I'm not ready for this yet?" she said, buttoning up her blouse. Her cheeks were red from embarrassment.

"Come on. You know you want it..." Jonah said in a suggestive tone.

Ugh. He was disgusting. That was the one problem with Jonah. It seemed that the only thing in his mind was sex. Sometimes Sam wondered if he was only with her to use her. That was probably the case. The truth is, that didn't really bother her. What bothered her was the sex. She wasn't ready for it. And somehow, she felt, deep inside, that she _especially_ shouldn't have her first time with Jonah.

He leaned towards her and attempted to kiss her again. She immediately pushed him away.

"Jonah - we're not having this conversation again!" Sam shouted. "Can't you just understand that I'm not ready?"

"Why are you being such a bitch??" Jonah said accusingly.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Sam asked, widening her eyes. He never talked to her like that. Usually, if someone called Sam a bitch, she would kick their ass. But she was too shocked to react.

"Look babe – I just assumed that when you said that you didn't want to commit to me that – you know…that –"

"Oh, I see," Sam said, nodding very slowly, trying to digest what he had just said. He thought she was a _slut_. A fucking _whore_. After a few moments of silence, she glared at him with the most menacing look she could manage.

"Now I see what you think of me…Well you know what Jonah? Fuck you! And get lost. I don't wanna ever see you again!"

He didn't even protest. He just pulled a "What the fuck?" face and Sam heard him slam the front door. He was gone.

Sam fell back onto her bed and sighed. She needed to talk to her friends.

* * *

Sam burst into Carly Shay's apartment. Since it was the weekend, she expected to see Freddie hanging out with her. She was disappointed to see that he wasn't there.

"Hey! What's up?" Carly asked, greeting Sam.

Sam sat down on the couch, sighing. Carly immediately made her way to her.

"What's wrong?"

Sam meant to tell Freddie first about the incident. Because Sam knew that as each day passed, Carly and her were being driven apart. They were too different. And somehow, along in the process, she and Freddie were getting closer. She could hate herself as much as she could for feeling this, but there was no point denying that she didn't hate Freddie like she used to. As they grew up, they gradually stopped fighting and started talking. Sam knew that she could tell Freddie anything.

"Jonah and I, we're finished," Sam said vaguely.

"What?! But you guys were so cute together!" Carly said, perplexed.

_Cute? I don't think so._

"He's a jerk, forget it," Sam said.

Carly plopped herself down on the couch beside Sam. "What happened? You have to tell me _everything_."

That's another thing that changed with Carly. Before, she used to listen to Sam. And comfort her and give her advice. She would actually _care_. Now that they've changed, it seemed Carly only listened to Sam because she felt obliged to. Either that or she was just desperate for some juicy gossip.

"He tried to sleep with me, and I said no," Sam said flatly. "It doesn't matter, he wasn't even worth it…"

"Oh…That's too bad…" Carly said simply.

Sam couldn't believe that her own supposedly 'best friend' didn't understand. Carly thought she was upset that Jonah and her were over. _Finito_. She didn't understand that Sam was upset that Jonah took her for a slut. She didn't even ask for the details. Sam knew she couldn't stand Carly for any longer so she decided to leave.

"Look, I have to go…" Sam said.

"But you just came!"

Sam quickly made up an excuse.

"I know, I just remembered I had something to do."

She left quickly, barely saying goodbye. She needed to breath. She needed to think. And she knew the perfect place she needed to go.

* * *

**I know you guys must be wondering what the hell does Jonah have to do with Freddie or Carly, but you'll see later...Please review! Hope you liked it. Feel free to give constructive criticism.**


	2. iLove You

**Major SEDDIE in this chapter with a little CREDDIE. Enjoy!**

**

* * *

**

CHAPTER TWO:** iLove You**

When Sam arrived at the fire escape, she was surprised yet happy to see Freddie sitting in his chair, sipping a can of beer, gazing at the outline of the sky.

"Hey," said Sam, her head peeping out of the window.

"Hey," Freddie said. "I have beer, bacon and funky music. Wanna join me?"

Sam chuckled, amused by Freddie's gimmicks. She popped a piece of bacon in her mouth as she sat next to him.

"What are these songs anyway?" Sam asked, laughing.

"Old 80's stuff. Some of them are actually pretty good, you know!" Freddie said, laughing as well.

There was a long, tense silence. Freddie sensed that Sam was upset, by the way her eyes just seemed empty and that she hadn't even made an attempt to diss him. He knew her too well.

"What's wrong?" Freddie asked, turning off the stereo.

"It – it's nothing," she stammered.

"Yeah, right," he groaned. "I think I've been your best friend long enough to know if something's wrong."

"You'll think it's stupid."

Freddie rolled his eyes.

"Is this about Carly?" he asked, staring at her knowingly.

She hesitated briefly, then made up her mind. She couldn't keep this inside forever. She had to tell someone. She opened a can of beer and took a deep breath.

"I'm sick and tired of Carly," she started. "I feel like I don't even know her anymore…

She paused to look at Freddie, who was nodding, urging her to go on.

"And I'm jealous of her too. It's so unlike me, being jealous like this…but I can't help it…It's always 'Carly this' and 'Carly that' and I can't take it anymore! If she were still the same person, I wouldn't be saying this…But she's changed. She thinks she's better than us. You see how she treats us on iCarly…it's always all about her and the worst thing is, the fans love it. When I talk to her, I feel like she isn't listening to me…"

"Aren't you being a little bit too harsh on her?"

Sam glared at Freddie, but decided not to kick his ass.

"You wouldn't know. She's always so nice to you!" Sam protested.

"Not always –"

"Always. And you're always listening to whatever she asks you to do!"

"That's not true – "

"_Please. For me, Freddie,_" Sam said, imitating Carly. "When she makes fun of you, it's no big deal. When I do, it's the end of the world!"

Freddie sighed. He always had a soft spot for Carly. He wasn't as much in love with her as he used to be, but as much as he wanted to be over her, he couldn't. She was his ideal girl. He wanted to be there for her. He felt he could not refuse her. And he was ready to do whatever it takes for her to acknowledge him romantically.

"You're still in love with her, aren't you?" Sam said, cocking her eyebrows.

"Nope. I'm over her," lied Freddie. The more he denied it, the easier it will be to get over her.

"Really?"

"Yeah. Completely over her," he assured her.

"Fine. _Prove_ it."

"Ugh, come on Sam…" Freddie complained. He knew she was going to do this.

"If you don't prove it, I'll assume you're still in love with her and will make fun of you for the rest of your life!"

"FINE!" Freddie wanted to hit himself for succumbing to Sam's whims. "What do you want me to do?"

"Simple. You will not listen to Carly anymore," Sam proposed with an evil grin. "If she asks you for a favor, you will refuse!"

"What?!" he asked, incredulous.

"Just do it."

* * *

"I broke up with Jonah, you know," Sam said.

They were still at the fire escape. A few hours had passed. The amount of beer she chugged down started to make her feel a little tipsy.

"You broke up with Jonah? Since when?"

"Today. Three hours ago."

"Why?"

"He wanted to sleep with me…And I wasn't ready for that." Sam explained. "He basically called me a bitch AND a slut so I told him to get lost. There. End of story."

"I told you he was a jerk."

"I already knew he was a jerk – I just didn't think he would think of me that way…Anyway, I don't wanna talk about it anymore. He's not worth it."

The pair stopped talking for a while to watch the skyline.

"I don't want to forget this moment…" Sam said suddenly. "You – me, in the fire escape – drinking beer - ," she started laughing hysterically. " – eating bacon and listening to weird 80's music…Wheehee…"

Freddie chuckled. Sam was a little drunk. He had to bring her home soon.

"Yeah…Who would've known…Three years ago, we hated each other's guts!"

"So many things have changed in three years," Sam said pensively.

"Remember our first kiss? Right here?" she recalled suddenly.

"How could I forget…" Freddie said, then looked at Sam in the eyes. Her long, wavy blond hair was dancing on her shoulders. She had a blissful smile on her face and her eyes were glowing, reflecting the city lights. Freddie just realized how much she was beautiful.

"You know…I think I never told you about this…" Sam said, her voice slurring a little. "But that kiss…was freaking amazing…"

Freddie didn't know if it was Sam or the alcohol speaking, but he was still surprised to hear his revelation. He would never forget that kiss, especially the feelings that swarmed his body during the process. He remembered feeling light, blissful and having a strange desire to smile. It was a wonderful feeling. He replayed the moment over and over in his head in the days following the kiss, wondering why he liked it so much. Especially since he shared the kiss with a person he supposedly hated. Even today, Freddie still didn't know why he enjoyed it so much.

"Yeah – it actually was," Freddie said, smiling.

After a few minutes, Sam was starting to get really tired. Her eyes were drooping and she could barely speak. He had to put her to sleep.

"Sam, we have to go now," he said, helping her up.

He assisted her as she climbed clumsily over the window, almost tripping on herself. She started laughing uncontrollably, then stopped abruptly. Freddie brought Sam's arm around his shoulders and pulled her close. When they arrived in front of his flat, Freddie opened the front door as quietly as possible to avoid waking up his mom.

"Don't leave me…" Sam slurred.

"I'm not going anywhere. I'm right here," Freddie said. Since she was barely standing upright, Freddie mustered all the strength he had and started to carry Sam to his room. He slowly brought her down on his bed. She looked like an angel, with her wavy hair spread across his pillow. He stayed on top of her for a while, embracing this moment, when Sam was vulnerable. When Sam needed him. He was about to get up until something stopped him.

"Freddie –" Sam whispered. "I love you."

* * *

**OMG! A cliffhanger! Yes, I'm so evil...muahaha. But you'll just have to wait to see what happens next!**


	3. iN Vino Veritas

**CHAPTER THREE: iN Vino Veritas**

_She watched in awe as he took off his shirt, revealing his chiseled chest. She couldn't keep her eyes off him. She approached him and kissed him fervently. He kissed her neck, inhaling her scent, and brought his hands to the clasp of her bra. He undid it quickly, letting her breasts be liberated from the tight fabric. He looked into her eyes._

_They burned with desire…_

_He thrust into her, making her cry out with pleasure. They moved in sync, their lips crushed, moaning, panting with each trust... Their hands, entangled around each other's body, seemed to never want to let go…She cried out his name…_

"Freddie!" Sam shouted as her eyes flew open.

_Oh My God. Did I just scream that out loud? _She thought, cringing. She used the pillow she was lying on to cover her face.

She had a dream about Freddie. She had a dream that she was having _sex _with Freddie. Her cheeks burned crimson as she realized this was the first time she had an – say, _erotic_ dream. And that wasn't the worst thing. The worst thing was the fact that _Benson_ was in her dream. Normally, Sam would consider that to be a nightmare. An utterly _disgusting_ and _unthinkable_ situation.

But somehow, she had an odd feeling that she liked it. Even odder: that she _wanted_ it…

Before her thoughts could wander any longer: _Wait_, she suddenly thought. _Is this Freddie's room?_

Before she could fully comprehend what was going on, Freddie burst into the room. _Speak of the devil. _

"What's happening? Are you okay? Is everything alright?" Freddie asked, panicking.

"Whoa – whoa. Slow down Benson. I just woke up, and my head feels like it's been hit by a truck," Sam winced, clutching her throbbing head.

"Why did you scream my name?" he asked, suspicious.

Sam let her gaze wander before answering. It stopped right at Freddie's chest. Oh My God. He was shirtless. Just like in her – er, erotic – dream. Sam couldn't help but stare. His chest actually looked like the one Freddie had in her fantasy…chiseled…muscled…Simply _wow_. Since when had Freddie become…

"_So damn hot…_"

"What did you say?" Freddie asked.

Did she just blurt that out loud? Oh no, not again…_I must be really hung-over_, thought Sam.

"So damn _drunk_, that's what I said," Sam quickly corrected before he could ask any questions. "What happened last night? The last thing I remember is me telling you about Jonah…"

She obviously had no idea of what she said to him last night. Freddie suddenly noticed that Sam's cheeks were flushed.

"You were completely out of it last night. I had to let you stay here," he explained, distracted by Sam's cheeks.

"Oh. Right," Sam shrugged.

Freddie avoided looking at her now. After last night, he could barely look into her eyes without recalling the three fateful words she pronounced before falling asleep…Did she really mean it, when she said "_I love you_"? Was it a result of the alcohol? Or was it a feeling that Sam was keeping inside?

What if Sam was _in love_ with him?

Impossible. Sam could not be in love with _him, _Fredweird Benson. He wasn't at all her type. She was into tough, self-assured and confident guys. He was the exact opposite. _Tough_ and _Benson_ are two words that will never coexist together in a sentence.

On top of that, they used to hate each other. He could conclude from all these assertions that Sam was definitely not in love with him.

Or he could believe that it was true.

Freddie was confused. _Very_ confused. He needed some girl advice, pronto.

It's complicated, this thing called love!

* * *

After saying goodbye to Sam, Freddie headed immediately to Carly's.

"Hey! What's up?" she said as she opened the front door.

"I need to ask you for some…for some girl advice," he said, his cheeks burning with embarrassment.

"Ooh! And who is the girl in question? A secret admirer?" Carly said mockingly. She laughed, punching him playfully on the shoulder. "I'm just kidding, Freddo."

"Actually, I'm doing this for, er - Shane," Freddie lied. "You know, Shane…"

"…the guy Sam and I were fighting over. How could I forget?" she recalled.

"So, uh, I was wondering – I mean, _Shane_ was wondering…there's this girl he knows. They've known each other _forever_. One night, when she was drunk out of her mind, she said that she loved him. It's not a bad thing actually, it's just…weird. And he has absolutely no clue of how to be or act around her now."

"Hmm…Sounds to me that Shane likes this girl," Carly said pensively.

"No way!" Freddie interjected. "How can you assume that?"

"Whoa, don't be so defensive! My 'girl intuition' is just trying to work it's way around this situation…"

"And how are you supposed to trust your so-called 'girl intuition'?" Freddie asked mockingly.

"I trust my gut. And it's never wrong!"

"Uh huh," Freddie nodded, unconvinced. "_Really_."

"Just like the time when you and Sam kissed behind my back…" Carly smirked. "I had this feeling in my gut that you guys both liked each other, no matter how much you denied it. Just a few months later, I made you confess to me you liked it AND that you had that weird feeling in your stomach, remember?"

Freddie cringed as he recalled the scene. It was so embarrassing. Carly and him had made a bet and of course, as usual, he had lost. So Carly made him confess his deepest and darkest secret. Okay, maybe not the darkest – but at least the one that nobody was supposed to know…

"And guess what?" Carly continued enthusiastically. "A year later, Sam confessed to me _she_ enjoyed it too. And that you were a really good kisser."

Freddie was bewildered. Sam had liked it too? Wow! That was unexpected…He couldn't believe that Samantha Puckett, the toughest girl he knew, the girl who had supposedly hated him…liked the kiss. If he had never talked about it ever again with her (apart from last night), it was mostly because he was afraid she was going to make fun of him, saying how disgusted and freaked out she was, etc.

_And she thinks I'm a good kisser_, Freddie thought, filled with pride.

"She thinks I'm a good kisser?" Freddie asked Carly, stunned.

"A _really_ good kisser," Carly nodded.

"You're kidding."

"I'm dead serious."

"Why didn't you tell me about this before?" Freddie asked, half - frustrated.

"Why? Did you like her?"

"No, no, NO. Never. Impossible," Freddie shook his head, his eyes wide.

The worst thing was that he wasn't sure if he was telling the truth or not.

"Why are you only telling this me now? Did you tell Sam?" he asked.

"No, I did not tell Sam and I don't intend to…I don't see the point. But I just remembered and I thought you should know!" Carly explained. "So, back to Shane. I said I thought he might like her because you said he thought that it wasn't a 'bad thing'. So I'm guessing he isn't so freaked out…"

"Not really," Freddie said. "Just _really_ confused. Like, he doesn't know if she meant it or not."

"Freddie, Freddie, _Freddie_," Carly said, sighing. "When a girl says that she loves you, she usually means it."

"She was drunk…she could've confused him with someone else…"

"Well, I don't know about that. But you know what they say…_'In Vino Veritas_'."

"Speak English, por favor," Freddie rolled his eyes.

"It's Latin for '_In wine lies the truth_'."

_In vino veritas_…In wine lies the truth…So, theoretically speaking, people who are drunk speak the truth. Which would mean that everything Sam said last night, including the fact that she thought their kiss was 'amazing' and that she loved him, was true.

_Oh God…_Freddie thought. _How am I supposed to face Sam after this? Especially since I don't know if she really meant it or not. And that she doesn't remember a thing, which only makes it worse…And how am I really supposed to know if she meant it or not? Friends say they love each other all the time!...Don't they?..._

"Listen Freddie, I'm seeing my friends later and I have to get ready," Carly said.

"Oh - well, thanks for everything. I'm sure Shane will appreciate your help. See you later." Freddie made his way to the door.

"Wait! I never said I wanted you to go," Carly said, approaching Freddie. "Stay with me for a while."

Her puppy dog eyes…her damn cute smile…Freddie felt he had died and gone to heaven. He wanted more than anything to stay with her, but he remembered what Sam made him promise the night before:

"_You will not listen to Carly anymore. If she asks you a favor, you will refuse!_"

Even though he was dying to stay, Freddie realized Sam was right. He didn't know how to say no to Carly. He had to do something about it.

"I'd rather not…" Freddie attempted, murmuring.

"Aw, come on," Carly pouted, placing her hand on his chest. There was something about the gesture that made Freddie shiver. Lately, Carly had been…touching him a lot. Placing her arm around his shoulders, sitting on his lap, touching his arm…He couldn't bear it any longer.

"Please. _For me_," she batted her eyelashes, almost seductively.

"No," Freddie said curtly, bringing her hand off his chest.

_Goddammit Sam, I'm going to kill you for this…_he thought. He hated Sam for having made him do this, but at the same time he hated himself for being unable to deny Carly.

"Why not?"

"I need to get some sleep. I'm tired," Freddie lied pathetically, then headed to the door. He gestured her goodbye and left quickly before he could change his mind.

Freddie felt confused. Terribly confused.

By Sam.

By Carly.

He needed some time to think.

* * *

**Hope you like this chapter! Please review!**


	4. iCheat

**I know it has been AGES since I have updated...I was just so busy with school, but now that it's summer, I can finally finish this story. This chapter is much more longer than the other three...And I hope you like it!**

**BTW: This is a AU where iSaved Your Life _never_ happened...Basically Carly never kissed Freddie...**

**

* * *

**

CHAPTER FOUR: **iCheat **

Carly strutted down the halls of Ridgeway High along with her three best friends: Blair, Julie and Chloe. As soon as they arrived near their lockers, Chloe, a tall and model-thin brunette, started to talk about a party she was organizing Saturday night, meaning tomorrow.

"Carly – I was just wondering if you could do me a little favor," said Chloe hesitantly, bringing Carly away from Blair and Julie who were discussing about a certain jock they had their eye on.

Carly raised her eyebrows questioningly.

"I was wondering…if you could tell Freddie that he's invited. To my party. And that he can bring his friends along too," she said.

Carly smiled. Chloe had this crush on Freddie ever since she arrived at Ridgeway High last year. Although Carly knew that Chloe was not at all Freddie's type, and that she had seriously tried to convince Chloe that it was no use wasting time on him, she refused to give up. Carly didn't want to break this to Chloe, but Freddie had been avoiding her ever since she attacked his lips last year at _Spin the bottle_.

"Sure, no problem," Carly lied. "I'll talk to him about it later."

She was about to go when she found herself face to face with Greg, her boyfriend. Greg and Carly had been dating since the start of the school year. He was, in her opinion, the best boyfriend a girl could have: he was hot, nice, and he made her laugh. Greg gave Carly a quick peck on the lips and wrapped his arm around her waist. He suddenly winked at Chloe who pretended she didn't notice the gesture. Suddenly, the class bell rang.

"See you later," said Greg with a smirk before leaving.

"Isn't he just the best?" Carly boasted once he was out of sight.

Chloe just contented her with a shrug. Carly looked away from her, slightly offended, and found herself gazing at Sam Puckett. She was standing in the middle of a circle of guys which included Freddie, laughing. It looked like she was having fun. All of a sudden, Carly felt a twinge of nostalgia. She missed it when it was just her, Sam and Freddie. Now, so many things had changed. Sam never wanted to hang out with her: Carly even insisted that Sam should hang out with her friends but it seemed like Sam cared too little about her to even bother trying. As for Freddie, Carly and he were still very close but she noticed that he seemed to be spending more and more time with Sam.

And for some unknown reason, that made her jealous.

* * *

The final bell announced the end of the school day. Freddie gathered his school books and headed towards his locker, tired. He had a lot on his mind: the whole day he couldn't stop thinking about Sam. He kept replaying to himself over and over again those haunting moments they shared a week ago, on that fateful night. Sam's hair dancing on her shoulders, her eyes locked onto the horizon. Sam just lying on the bed, her hair sprawled out on the pillow, looking so vulnerable and peaceful. Sam telling him that she loved him.

Every time he thought about her, he felt a rush of heat and adrenaline flow through his veins. His heart would beat faster and he could feel the sweat building on his upper lip. He couldn't believe it and couldn't deny it anymore:

He liked Sam Puckett.

Sam spotted Freddie by his locker. She waved at him but he seemed too busy contemplating his feet to notice her.

"Hey," she said, facing him.

He jumped in surprise and his face reddened when he saw who he was facing.

"God – you scared the shit out of me!" he said.

"What were you thinking about?" Sam asked quizzically.

Freddie gulped. How ironic that he had been thinking about _her_.

"Nothing," he shrugged, then changed the subject. "Are you going to Chloe's party?"

Carly had come over to him earlier to tell him that he and Sam were both invited to Chloe's party. Freddie doubted that Sam would even think about going.

"Are you serious? As if I want to hang out with Carly and the bimbos she worships so dearly!" Sam said sarcastically.

"Sam, it'll be fun," Freddie insisted.

He really wanted to go (even though he was, truthfully, avoiding Chloe at the moment) and thus, didn't want to be alone. He needed Sam.

"Yeah, well if you call fun spending the night with a whole bunch of rich girls and lacrosse boys, I don't think so."

"Come on, everybody's going to be there, not just Carly and her…crew…It's just a party, Sam."

Sam cocked her eyebrow, pondering. What had she got to lose?

"When is it?" she asked, still cocking her eyebrow.

"Saturday night. So are you coming?"

"Yeah…sure," she said, smirking. "It better be worth it, Benson."

* * *

Freddie entered along with Sam in the doorway of the huge house which belonged to Chloe. The party had already started: music was blasting loudly through the speakers and there were people _everywhere_. This was the first party he'd seen to be this _huge_. As they walked around, he could even discern the shimmering water of a swimming pool at the outside of the house.

"I want a drink," Sam said, staring at the bar.

They both walked towards the bar. Freddie promised himself he would abstain from alcohol, but already the sight of everybody else drinking was starting to shed that mental promise.

"Yeah, me too," he said, grabbing a beer for himself and Sam.

"Thanks," Sam said as Freddie handed her the bottle. "I'm glad to have come."

"Really?"

"Yeah. After what happened with Jonah, I needed to go out. Change my mood. And, _possibly_, try to avoid him. I only came here tonight because of you, and because I knew Jonah wouldn't come to these kind of – "

Sam looked petrified, as if she had just seen a ghost.

"'_These kind of'_ what? What's wrong?" Freddie turned around.

Jonah was here. And he was heading their way.

"Oh shit, shit, _shit_!" Sam cursed. "Hide me!"

"He's coming, it's too late!"

"I don't wanna see him!" she shook her head.

Too late. He was already here.

"Hey," Jonah said. "Um, so – can we talk?"

Sam crossed her arms.

"In private," Jonah said, glaring at Freddie.

"Sam tells me everything, so you might as well get to the point," Freddie said in an almost menacing tone, which surprised Sam, momentarily. Since when had Freddie become…tough?

"Yeah so get to the point, Jonah" she said in a bored tone.

"I want to talk about what happened. I want to apologize."

"Oh yeah, so now you're sorry, now you care," she said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

"What are you talking about?" he said, fuming.

"So you're saying that you were not with me this whole time just because you wanted to sleep with me," Sam said.

"That's not true Sam, I –"

But he didn't have time to finish. Freddie had interrupted him at the speed of lightning. He couldn't stand him anymore.

"Look man, she doesn't want to talk to you and she doesn't want your apologies," Freddie said in a calm but warning voice. "Leave her _alone_."

"Freddie! What are you doing?" Sam asked, outraged.

"Let her talk," Jonah said, approaching Freddie menacingly. "And _you_ leave us alone. This is none of your business."

"Well now it is," said Freddie, getting even closer to Jonah without flinching even though internally, he was terrorized.

"Freddie, _stay out_ of this. I can deal with this _alone_," Sam said.

Freddie now faced Sam.

"I am tired of you staying with this jerk! He doesn't deserve you!" Freddie shouted.

And before anyone could say a word, Freddie punched Jonah on the face.

Everyone gasped and formed a circle around the two. Sam, livid, started shouting at Freddie to stop. Freddie was livid himself: it was the first time he had ever punched someone. He stared at his fist, bewildered and – proud, for some reason. Distracted, he didn't see Jonah's punch coming. Blood oozed out from his nose. Jonah was about to punch him again, but Sam put herself between the two:

"Stop fighting!" she shouted.

"You know what?" Jonah said, stepping away. "I'm through with this shit, Sam." He turned to Freddie. "I don't know how you do it, man, to put up with her. She's a fucking nightmare."

"Screw you!" she shouted as he walked away. She would've come up with something more intelligent to say to him, but there was too much going on. Too much to handle. The circle dissipated and everyone went back to their business. Sam turned to Freddie.

"What the hell were you thinking?" she asked angrily.

"Sam, that guy is a complete douche," he said. "He got what he deserved."

"Yeah well, you got what you deserved too."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" he asked, taken aback.

"You deserved to be punched, that's what it means."

"Sam, I was defending you!" he objected.

"I don't need to be defended. You caused a scene out of nothing!"

"You know, maybe Jonah was right."

"Excuse me?" Sam stopped in her tracks and turned around to face him.

"He was right. You are a nightmare."

Sam shook her head. "Yeah well – fuck you, Freddie."

She pushed him hard, and walked away, furious. How dare he say something like that to her? And why had he defended her? Freddie never fought with people, especially guys like Jonah. He would never have the guts to punch someone. What made him do it?

Suddenly, she bumped into someone. A cup dropped to the floor and it's contents spilled out. Sam looked up and found herself face to face with a girl she was familiar with but whom she couldn't recall the name.

"I'm so sorry about your drink," Sam said. "I wasn't looking –"

"Don't worry about it," the girl interrupted, smiling. "I can get another one."

"I'll get it for you," Sam proposed.

"Thanks!" the girl said, and they started walking towards the bar.

"You're Sam, right?" the girl asked. Sam nodded.

"We have French together," she continued. "I'm Alison, by the way."

Alison…yes, now she remembered. Alison was a star athlete at Ridgeway High. She played in the school's soccer team.

"You're in the girls' soccer team, right?" Sam asked.

"Yeah," Alison smiled.

Sam grabbed a beer from the bar and handed it to Alison, who thanked her.

"I don't want to sound intruding…but are you okay?" Alison asked. "I saw the fight back there. Pretty intense."

"Yeah, I'm – " Sam started, but stopped, sighing. "Actually, I'm not okay. There's just so much going on right now. I need a break."

"What happened?" Alison asked, concerned.

And even though Sam didn't know Alison, she told her everything. There was no one else she could turn to, not even Freddie. How was she supposed to tell him about that dream she had of him? Alison listened without interrupting her.

"Wow," Alison said, when Sam finished her story. "I knew that Jonah was a total asshole. Why did you even go out with him in the first place?"

"Trust me, I've been asking myself the exact same question," Sam replied, sipping her beer.

Alison laughed.

"And what about Freddie?" Alison asked.

"What about him?" Sam said, shrugging.

"I think it's pretty sweet what he did back there," Alison explained. "Defending you."

"You think?" Sam said. "I actually got mad at him for doing that."

"What?" Alison looked at Sam, perplexed. "Why would you do that? The guy took a punch for you!"

"It wasn't for me…"

"Of course it was for you," Alison said. "Dude, I bet he likes you."

Sam laughed. "There's no way that's possible. Freddie is my best friend, and he would never like me like that. He's been madly in love with Carly since he was twelve. It's pathetic," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Carly? Isn't she that chick you used to do that web show with?" Alison asked, surprised.

"Yeah," Sam sighed. "We used to be best friends. We don't hang out much anymore."

"I can see why you don't…" Alison said glancing at Carly who was talking to Greg, her boyfriend. "Ever since Greg started going out with her, he's been acting so weird."

"Greg? You know Carly's boyfriend?"

"He's one of my best friends," Alison said, with a sad look on her face. "Every time he talks to me, Carly can't stand it. She is so possessive. Because of her, Greg doesn't hang out with me anymore."

Sam shook her head. Carly had always been possessive about everything: the web show, her boyfriend and even Freddie.

"Look, all this talk is making me feel depressed," Alison said, laughing. "We should be having fun, not sulking, right?"

She punched Sam lightly on the elbow, who smiled.

"Come, I want you to meet my friends," Alison said, leading her the way.

"Sure," Sam said, following her newfound friend. Who knows? Maybe new friends could help her get away from the drama.

* * *

Freddie stared confusedly as Sam followed a blond girl to a group of jocks, including a bunch of guys from the lacrosse team. The girl seemed to be introducing Sam to them, and Sam didn't actually seem to mind it, as she would have in normal circumstances. What was wrong with her? Since when did she accept to hang out with jocks? The worst thing was, she looked like she was having the time of her life. Freddie glared at her as one the guys started to whisper something in her ear, making her laugh. He wanted to go there, join the group, but he knew he would make a fool out of himself.

Suddenly, Freddie felt someone poking his shoulder. He turned around and found himself face to face with….Chloe.

_God, this couldn't get any worse, could it? _

"Hey," she said. "Enjoying the party?"

"Yeah!" Freddie said with exaggerated jubilance. "The best one I've been to so far!"

_How ironic. _Naturally, Chloe didn't think he was being sarcastic.

"Thanks, I'm glad you're having fun," she said.

Freddie nodded, wondering how he could get out of this. Carly told him a few months ago that Chloe had this huge crush on him – he thought it was the weirdest thing ever, considering the fact that he had never spoken to her. When he thought about it, she was really hot – but not at all his type.

"Hey so – " Chloe started but someone interrupted her before she could continue:

"Hey guys," Carly said, appearing out of nowhere. "Hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"No, not at all!" Freddie said with a huge grin.

"Hmph!" Chloe huffed out her sudden irritation, with a fake smile.

Carly ignored her and turned to Freddie. She opened her mouth wide, in shock.

"Oh my god -" Carly said. "Are you okay? Did you get into a fight?"

Carly now approached him, and brought her hand to his sore cheek.

"I'm fine, really," Freddie said. "It's no big deal –"

"Who did this to you?" Carly interrupted.

"It really doesn't matter - "

Carly cut him off again.

"It must really hurt though. Maybe I can make it better," she said, winking and stroked his cheek.

Chloe couldn't believe her eyes. Carly was purposely flirting with Freddie right in front of her face. Freddie couldn't believe it either. Not only was Carly flirting with him _again_, but he couldn't resist it. Maybe Sam was right. Maybe he still liked Carly. But how could he like two girls at the same time? Especially since these two girls happened to be his best friends.

Before Freddie could think any further, Carly planted a kiss on his cheek.

"How's that?" she asked, flashing him that gorgeous smile of hers.

Chloe stormed off in fury.

"Chloe, wait!" Carly shouted out, realizing what she had done, unconsciously. She just couldn't help flirting with Freddie. Flirting with him was _fun _– because she knew how she made him feel. The fact that he was constantly nervous around her amused her. It was the one thing that was missing when she was with Greg: with him, _she_ was the one that was nervous. And she hated it.

Carly glanced around and saw Blair and Julie staring at her a few feet away with their arms crossed. She knew what they were thinking, what Chloe was thinking. That she was a slut. A flirt, that couldn't control herself. They were all there, judging her for a harmless act. She knew she didn't mean to hurt Chloe: she was her friend.

"Um," she muttered. "I have to go. Find…Chloe. I'll see you later."

"Okay…" Freddie said, watching Carly leave.

Things had complicated a little more than he had expected.

* * *

Carly was looking for Chloe, but she was nowhere in sight. She had to tell her she didn't mean any it. Whenever Chloe was upset, she would do something rash. And she had to stop that from happening.

"Hey, have you guys seen Chloe?" Carly asked a group of guys.

They all shook their head except one:

"I think I saw her going upstairs," he said.

"Okay, thanks." She was about to leave when he grabbed her shoulder.

"Wait, now I remember," he added. "She went up with Greg."

Carly stopped, to digest what she had just heard. Chloe was with Greg. She must've said something to him. She ran up the stairs as quickly as she could. She could only imagine all the things Chloe could say: that she had flirted with Freddie, then kissed him. That she was a total slut, and that he should break up with her. She clenched her fists at the thought. She _knew_ Chloe would do something like this. When she got to the top of the stairs, she burst through the first door she saw. And there, to her horror, she saw something that she would've never expected.

Greg had Chloe against the wall, and was furiously making out with her, his hand up her skirt. When they heard the door bang, they stopped immediately. Carly glared at both of them and shook her head. Chloe just contented her with an apathetic stare, and readjusted her skirt.

"Carly, I – " Greg said but Carly cut him off.

"Don't say anything," Carly said wrathfully before slamming the door behind her. She heard Greg calling after her, but she couldn't care less. She tried to fight the tears, but they came, gushing down her cheeks.

She didn't know when, and she didn't know how – yet: but she was going to get revenge.

* * *

Sam was having the time of her life. Never had she ever received so much attention: three guys from the lacrosse team were non-stop flirting with her and she was hanging out with people who were actually cool – and not stuck-up like most people she knew. She never expected this from a group of jocks. Ever since she saw Carly dating one, she swore she would stay away from them, assuming that girls like Carly were the kind they were looking for. Turns out, she was wrong.

"Guys, I'm gonna grab a drink," Sam said, standing up. She felt someone from behind grabbing her shirt, pulling her back down, but her reflexes took over. A second later, to his biggest surprise, she had his arm twisted:

"Let me go!" he winced.

She let him go with a smirk on her face.

"Man, you just got beat up by a chick!" his friend next to him said mockingly, then winked at Sam.

"Shut up," he said, shaking his hand.

Sam chuckled to herself and made her way to the bar. She grabbed a beer and turned her head. There, standing on her left, was Freddie, all alone, sipping a bottle of beer. At that moment, she felt sorry for the poor guy. Maybe Alison was right: she had been a little too hard on him.

"Hey," she said to Freddie.

He turned to look at her, but didn't say anything. He just continued drinking his beer. He was obviously upset.

"Look, I want to apologize for my behavior earlier," she said. "I shouldn't have acted like that."

Freddie looked at her, surprised. Sam rarely apologized. If she said it, she most probably meant it. But he didn't want to forgive her – just yet.

"Having fun with your new friends?" Freddie asked sulkily.

"Freddie –" Sam looked at him apologetically. She felt bad, all of a sudden.

"You know," he continued. "We were supposed to hang out tonight."

"I know, and I'm sorry," she shook her head. "I just needed a break. I thought that if I hung out with new people, I could feel better. And, it worked."

"Needed a break from what? Me?"

"Partly," she said slowly, observing his reaction. "It's just that, ever since that evening we spent at the fire escape, weird things have been happening."

Weird things like a sudden attraction felt towards Freddie, which was non-existent before, dreams involving Freddie – naked – _with_ her, Freddie acting all tough and punching a guy like Jonah…it was surreal. These were just the kind of things that _didn't_ happen…before.

"I know exactly what you mean," Freddie replied.

Sam sighed, relieved.

"About that night, Sam," Freddie continued. "I need to tell you something."

Sam nodded, urging him to continue. She hoped she hadn't done anything stupid. She couldn't remember _anything_ from that night.

"After carrying you back to my apartment, and putting you down on my bed, you –" Freddie paused.

When Sam heard Freddie say "you", she instantly panicked.

"- you said you loved me," Freddie finished.

Sam blinked. She said _**what**_? And before she could even realize what she had done, she burst out laughing. Freddie, taken aback, started laughing nervously. Not the reaction he had expected.

"I _can't_ believe I said that!" Sam said, giggling uncontrollably. "I probably thought you were my dad or something, because there's no way in hell I would ever tell you that."

"Probably not, because you said exactly "Freddie, I love you"," he said sullenly.

When Sam saw that Freddie was dead serious, she immediately stopped laughing. She just realized that she _hurt_ him: she could see it in his eyes, and by the way he was staring at the ground, lost. Then Sam thought about what Alison said: what if Freddie liked her?

"You didn't think I meant it, did you?" Sam said, anxious.

"Of course not," Freddie said with a shrug. He grinned to show her he was fine but, knowing him too well, Sam knew he wasn't.

"I mean, you know I like you Freddie – we're best friends – but I don't like you _like that_."

"Why are you telling me this?" Freddie asked, almost angrily.

"I just thought – I don't know, that maybe you had feelings for me," she said.

"And why would that change anything?" he said. "Like you said, there's no way in hell you would ever feel that way for me, so why be concerned about my feelings?"

What did he mean? Did he like her…or not? But before she could ponder any further, she saw Freddie staring at something behind her. She turned around, and saw Carly running down the stairs, in tears.

"What now?" she huffed. "I bet its because another one of her stupid fights with her boyfriend."

"Shut up Sam," Freddie said, shaking his head. "You don't know anything."

He left Sam alone, joining Carly and hugged her tightly.

Sam just stood there, perplexed, staring at them scornfully.

And she knew that whatever happened on that night at the fire escape, it had changed everything.

* * *

**I hope you liked this chapter! Please review! =)**


End file.
